The New Mobility Era’s Top 10

For mobility in 2021, here are the key factors that need to be top of mind.

A new year is upon us, and with it comes the buzz of all things new around the world. A new year is a time for reflection, and to evaluate where we’ve been and where we’re going next. At this time last year, many of us surely pondered what a brand-new decade would bring, unaware of how a global pandemic would completely upend our personal and professional lives. In 2020, workforce mobility had to quickly pivot as business travel, assignments, and permanent moves around the world came to a startling halt, at least as the COVID-19 pandemic first became a reality.

Slowly and safely, companies—and the mobility professionals who keep employees moving to reach critical roles—utilized their strategic importance and knowledge to ensure business continuity. From duty of care and compliance, to tax implications for remote work, to tech-based solutions to real estate, and much more, mobility has been up to these unprecedented challenges.

With lessons learned, 2021 brings its own opportunities—and challenges. We may not know what the new year will bring, but in this month’s issue of Mobility magazine, we learn the 10 factors to consider for workforce mobility in 2021 from Worldwide ERC® President and CEO Lynn Shotwell, Vice President of Member Engagement and Public Policy Rebecca Peters, and Senior Vice President for Product Development Karen Cygal. Here’s what they had to say:

1. Refined Policies for Shifting Work Paradigms

For mobility professionals, it is critical to continually examine mobility policies to ensure they are aligned with driving business growth and talent effectiveness for your company and to determine which key policies matter even more today.

2. Remote Work

Employees working from anywhere will continue to be under scrutiny as businesses decide how the extent of remote work will affect their bottom line and how it contributes to workforce sustainability. Mobility’s role in helping to streamline the compliance considerations for remote work will be integral in these decisions.

3. Compliance

In addition to compliance with immigration and tax considerations for remote employees, make sure you are aware of the tax and immigration statutes that have a temporary bearing on when your employees can be in a country or not. End-of-year filings are going to potentially be more complicated than ever before. Make sure you have the right resources in place to ensure that you get it right.

4. Business Travel

Expect business travel to be closely tracked for years to come. This could be a time to refine policies on business travel and to begin tracking employees through AI or tech.

5. Employee Desire and Readiness to Travel

Whenever assignments return to a normal pace again, employers will need to consider safety and assess whether employees feel comfortable traveling. Duty of care will continue to be essential, not just for the employers and employees, but for their families as well.

6. Human Interaction

Even as some return to on-site working, many will remain remote for the time being, perpetuating the ongoing importance of employee engagement in the virtual setting. Executives and managers will need to continue to devise creative ways to keep employees engaged, informed, and bringing their best selves to the table.

7. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Cultivating diverse talent—and a workplace that prioritizes diversity of identity, background, and thought—dismantles harmful stereotypes, while providing access to opportunities for those who may be traditionally shut out. Mobility is tackling the need for having tough conversations, meeting valuable diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) metrics, and ensuring a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce around the world.

8. Employee Experience

Competition for talent will remain tight for certain skills. Employee experience will be critical in achieving the key goal of being an employer of choice.

9. Talent Acquisition

Hiring from global labor pools will prove to be a continued conversation wherever businesses are trying to bring jobs to people and people to jobs. Talent mobility can help businesses hire and onboard the best talent needed for available positions. Changes in the global landscape, such as immigration laws, where university students are being educated, and where displaced talent is located, could redefine current acquisition models.

10. Supply Chain Management

Leveraging your service providers’ supply chain or creating your own can help to achieve efficiencies and a high employee experience model. Watching how supply chains are shifting geographically and how vendors and technology are integrating are two areas to keep an eye on.

Want to Learn More?

Mobility is Worldwide ERC®’s monthly magazine, delivering industry and business news and updates, as well as insights on global talent mobility programs, tips and trends. To learn more about what the workforce mobility industry can expect in 2021 as well as features on such topics as the potential for strategic AI and big data to transform mobility and how to embrace AI-based tech to enhance diversity and inclusion, and more, check out this month’s issue of Mobility magazine.